Mumbai: Sharad Pawar’s revised autobiography ‘Lok Majhe Sangati’, which focuses on occasions post-2015, has revealed that the previous had made it clear to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 that there can no truck with BJP. The ebook, which was launched not too long ago, revealed that the Bharatiya Janata Party was eager on a post-poll alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2019, however Sharad Pawar was towards it.
In his ebook, Pawar additionally admitted that there have been casual talks between some NCP and BJP leaders after the 2019 meeting polls in Maharashtra when there was uncertainty over authorities formation.
“The BJP started exploring whether there could be any possibility of an alliance with the NCP, but I was not involved in the process. This was only BJP’s desire and there were no formal talks with the BJP. But there were informal talks between select leaders from the two parties,” Pawar wrote.
The Maratha strongman mentioned because the NCP had little curiosity, it determined to not go along with the BJP. It was essential to state this very clearly to the BJP. Accordingly, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi throughout the winter session of Parliament in November 2019, Pawar wrote within the ebook.
The NCP chief met PM Modi on November 20, 2019, and apprised him of farmers’ misery in Maharashtra when President’s rule was imposed within the state. Pawar then had refused to touch upon what transpired between him and Modi as there was uncertainty over authorities formation within the state and the NCP, undivided Shiv Sena and Congress had been in talks of an alliance.
“I met PM Modi and told him very clearly that there could be no political truck between us (BJP and NCP). But while I was saying this, it has to be noted that there was a section of leaders in the party who wanted ties with the BJP,” Pawar mentioned in his ebook.
Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar broke ranks and took oath as deputy chief minister within the short-lived Devendra Fadnavis authorities. During the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee too, the BJP wished an alliance with the NCP which was in its nascent phases, Pawar claimed.
Even in 2014, there have been makes an attempt by the BJP to have NCP in its camp, Pawar added. The BJP was the one largest get together within the state after the 2014 meeting polls however fell wanting a majority. The Shiv Sena, BJP, Congress and NCP had contested individually in meeting polls.
“I was not present during the 2014 talks with the BJP, but I was aware of it. But suddenly, the BJP mended its ties with the Shiv Sena which even became part of the government. With this our leaders realised that it was not appropriate to trust the BJP,” Pawar mentioned.
Springing a shock, Pawar on Tuesday introduced on the ebook launch that he can be stepping down as chief of the NCP, the political outfit he based and helmed since 1999.
